Every Paddle
Matters
Have you every thought a 10 foot rubber raft can teach the
value of a team? Admiral William H. McRaven states in his book “Make Your Bed”
that the first phase of Navy Seal training is to carry around this boat everywhere
you go. That means from going to eat, to
training-carrying it through sand dunes, navigating the coastline of San Diego with
waves up to 8 feet to get to the final destination—EVERYWHERE!
What did he learn?
Probably a lot about the best way to carry a boat and to paddle a boat
through rough waters! But, also, that
every paddle--every team member--matters.
Admiral McRaven said that some days were better than others in training—on
any given day, some were sick, tired, injured, etc. What that meant was other team members had to
recognize someone was struggling and either pick them up or dig a little deeper
and give extra effort. In other words,
carrying around a small boat with 7 other guys made you get to know those men
very well. As Admiral McRaven said…”The
small rubber boat made us realize that no man could make it through training
alone.”
As officials, we cannot do it alone. To perform at the highest level, we need each
other and to recognize our strengths, weaknesses, and when we need help. We need our families. We need to work with administrators, coaches
and players. We need to support our
leaders.
I Corinthians 12:
14-20: 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If
the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,”
that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear
should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would
not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an
eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where
would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the
members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all
were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are
many parts,[e] yet one body.
In these verses, Paul is specifically talking about
Spiritual gifts. Basically, we all have
different gifts as Believers in Jesus and we can use those gifts for God’s
purposes. The same is true for
officials. We all have different things
to bring to the crew to make it the best.
Remember—every paddle matters—my success depends on others!
